KUALA LUMPUR: Leftenan Jeneral Datuk Malek Razak Sulaiman has been appointed the new Armed Forces Chief, effective Feb 1.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, has consented to the promotion of Malek Razak to the rank of Jeneral and his appointment as the military's head.
"The appointment was made in line with the recommendation of the 633rd (Special) Armed Forces Council meeting held on Jan 29 and subsequently received the consent of Sultan Ibrahim on Jan 30," he said in a statement on Saturday (Jan 31).
The new Armed Forces Chief holds a Diploma in Strategic and Security Studies from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from King’s College London, and a Master of Social Science from UKM.
He began his military career in 1985 as an Overseas Cadet Officer at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was commissioned as a Second Leftenan on Dec 11, 1987.
Over nearly four decades of service, he has demonstrated strong capability and leadership, Mohamed Khaled said.
Malek Razak began his career as a platoon commander with the 21st Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment before serving in various units and holding numerous command and staff appointments.
His last post prior to this appointment was Western Field Commander of the Army.
Based on his extensive experience, Mohamed Khaled expressed confidence that the appointment will further strengthen the leadership and capabilities of the military in facing national defence challenges while reinforcing professionalism and integrity.
